Has anyone tried the performace tires that come with the 17" wheels in the rain? I ordered those on my mini now I'm wondering if I'll be able to drive when it rains.

 

I've got 17" performance tires. I don't know what you are used to, but they seem to handle the rain extremely well.

Snow is another matter. With so little weight it is pretty bad after just an inch or two.

- R

 

Go to the Tire Rack site. It gives performance data on the tires in question.

 

I'm not sure which tires MINI puts on. I'm guessing it's one of these? http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compar...=Y&RunFlat=All

Although Tire Rack says they're for the JCW kit I assume they're probably the same ones that are used on the 17" wheels?

 

Mine has the Dunlops. They're not too bad in the rain.

 

Sorry they are Dunlop runflats Dunlop SP Sport 01 DSST. Two of the reviews are positive one is negative. Here in rainy Seattle the Dunlops seem fine. All of these high performance tires are a bit troublesome and prone to hydroplaning. You may wish to buy a spare to keep at home from the Tire Rack just in case you get a tire puncture. I had one and I was forced to to go to the dealer where I paid almost $400 for a replacement.

 

I must be missing the good reviews seems like no one is happy with them.

 

Refer to the use in the rain which are ok. Really, what is best runflat in the rain????? The choices for runflats are limited. You take what you get.

 

Loui, I've got Eagle F1 GS-D3s on both my wife's and my high performance cars and I live up here too. They will be the first thing I get for my MCS. No spare, but what the he... The tires are amazing in the rain. I can run much faster than I should, turn well and stop on a dime. I just can't imagine how a runflat can match that performance. FWIW, I usually don't like Goodyears, but these are an exception. But, you have actual experience with the Dunlops, so that's worth a lot.

 

Thanks everyone. Based on the reviews on Tire Rack and what W84R56 said about the snow I should probably switch out these tires before the winter anyway.

 

When you get to tire replacement time you may want to consider the Goodyear Eagle RS-A All Season Runflats. I have these on my 17" wheels. They rate very high. Check them out on Tirerack and compare them with all the other runflats that are viable for the MINI. One other point .. Considering the fact that runflats are pretty darned expensive, be sure to check the user reviews on treadlife.

 

Yes, treadlife is very important, but your driving style has a major impact on life of the tire. Also, get a digital tire pressure gauge and check your tires a couple times a month. One final point, watch for premature wear and correct any that you see.

 

It's rained virtually every day in the two weeks I've owned my R56, and have no complaints about the wet-weather performance of my hi-po tires. I'm a fairly aggressive driver, and I haven't seen the DSC light come on once.

Vastly superior to the Nitto NT450s I had on my RSX, which made the car essentially undriveable in anything under than 100% dry pavement situations...